Mike Leigh’s powerful retelling of the Peterloo massacre in cinemas now

Mike Leigh’s powerful retelling of the Peterloo massacre in cinemas now

Mike Leigh’s long awaited PETERLOO hits the screens across the UK today. The film is being seen as a rallying call for political activism in a time when democracy is in crisis all over the world.

An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter’s Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest and most notorious episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reform and protest against rising levels of poverty. Many protestors were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also further government suppression. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which brought about the beginnings of the trade union movement and played a significant role in the founding of the Guardian newspaper.

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